The £1,000,000 Bank-Note
When I was twenty-seven years old, I was a mining-broker’s clerk in San Francisco, and an expert in all the details of stock traffic. I was alone in the world, and had nothing to depend upon but my wits and a clean reputation; but these were setting my feet in the road to eventual fortune, and I was content with the prospect.
我27岁时在旧金山一位矿业经纪人手下当雇员，对证券交易的每一个细节都非常熟悉。当时我在世上无亲无故，除去聪明的头脑和清白的名声，我简直一无指靠；可是，就凭我这些条件，我就能走上一条最终发迹的康庄大道，我对这一前景感到满意。
My time was my own after the afternoon board, Saturdays, and I was accustomed to put it in on a little sail-boat on the bay. One day I ventured too far, and was carried out to sea. Just at nightfall, when hope was about gone, I was picked up by a small brig which was bound for London. It was a long and stormy voyage, and they made me work my passage without pay, as a common sailor. When I stepped ashore in London my clothes were ragged and shabby, and I had only a dollar in my pocket. This money fed and sheltered me twenty-four hours. During the next twenty-four I went without food and shelter.
每星期六下午收盘后的时间由我自己支配，我习惯的休闲方式是在海湾里驾驶小帆船。一天，我胆子太大了，结果把小船远远地驶进了大海。黄昏来临，当我几乎已经绝望时，被一艘开往伦敦的小型方帆双桅船救起来。旅途漫长，风涛险恶，船上管事的没让我出船钱，只是要我不拿工资干普通水手的活，用这个办法来抵账。当我在伦敦登岸时，身上穿的是一堆破烂，口袋里只装着1美元。就靠这一块钱我勉强维持了一天的食宿。第二天，我就既无果腹之粮又无栖身之所了。
About ten o’clock on the following morning, seedy and hungry, I was dragging myself along Portland Place, when a child that was passing, towed by a nursemaid, tossed a luscious big pear—minus one bite—into the gutter. I stopped, of course, and fastened my desiring eye on that muddy treasure. My mouth watered for it, my stomach craved it, my whole being begged for it. But every time I made a move to get it some passing eye detected my purpose, and of course I straightened up, then, and looked indifferent, and pretended that I hadn’t been thinking about the pear at all. This same thing kept happening and happening, and I couldn’t get the pear. I was just getting desperate enough to brave all the shame, and to seize it, when a window behind me was raised, and a gentleman spoke out of it, saying:
第二天上午，大约10点钟左右，衣衫褴褛、饥肠辘辘的我步履蹒跚地在波特兰广场附近徘徊。一个小孩子让保姆领着在我身边经过，他把一只甘美无比的大鸭梨——只咬了一口——扔进了阴沟。我当然站住了，充满饥渴的目光死死盯住那沾满污泥的宝贝。我嘴里满是口水，胃里着实需要它，我整个生命都渴求它。然而，每当我挪动身子想把它捡起来时，总会有过路人的目光窥透我的意图，我当然只好站直身子，装出一副冷漠的样子，好像自己对那只鸭梨根本没有起过意。这样的情景重复了多次，我始终未能把那只梨弄到手。当我终于下定决心，准备不顾一切羞耻把梨一把抓起来时，我身后的一扇窗子向上推开了，一位绅士向外喊道：
‘Step in here, please.’
“请你进屋来。”
I was admitted by a gorgeous flunkey, and shown into a sumptuous room where a couple of elderly gentlemen were sitting. They sent away the servant, and made me sit down. They had just finished their breakfast, and the sight of the remains of it almost overpowered me. I could hardly keep my wits together in the presence of that food, but as I was not asked to sample it, I had to bear my trouble as best I could.
我被一名身穿华丽制服的仆人领进一个豪华的房间，屋里坐着两位年长的绅士。他们把仆人支走后，请我坐下来。他俩刚用完早餐，看到吃剩下来的食物，我几乎无法自持。面对着那些好吃的东西，我差点儿失去理智，但是既然主人并没有请我品尝，我就得竭力忍受痛苦。
Now, something had been happening there a little before, which I did not know anything about until a good many days afterwards, but I will tell you about it now. Those two old brothers had been having a pretty hot argument a couple of days before, and had ended by agreeing to decide it by a bet, which is the English way of settling everything.
当时我对不久前在那里发生的事还一无所知，我是过了很多天以后才获悉此情的，不过，我想现在就把这件事告诉你们。两天前，这老哥儿俩曾进行过一场热烈的争辩，最终他俩决定采用英国人解决一切问题的方式——打赌——来决定胜负。
You will remember that the Bank of England once issued two notes of a million pounds each, to be used for a special purpose connected with some public transaction with a foreign country. For some reason or other only one of these had been used and cancelled; the other still lay in the vaults of the Bank. Well, the brothers, chatting along, happened to get to wondering what might be the fate of a perfectly honest and intelligent stranger who should be turned adrift in London without a friend, and with no money but that million-pound bank-note, and no way to account for his being in possession of it. Brother A said he would starve to death; Brother B said he wouldn’t. Brother A said he couldn’t offer it at a bank or anywhere else, because he would be arrested on the spot. So they went on disputing till Brother B said he would bet twenty thousand pounds that the man would live thirty days, any way, on that million, and keep out of jail, too. Brother A took him up. Brother B went down to the Bank and bought that note. Just like an Englishman, you see; pluck to the backbone. Then he dictated a letter, which one of his clerks wrote out in a beautiful round hand, and then the two brothers sat at the window a whole day watching for the right man to give it to.
诸君想必还记得：英格兰银行为与某个外国作某项公共交易的特殊需要，曾发行过两张大钞，每张票面都是百万英镑。不知什么原因，实际使用并注销的只有其中一张；而另一张大钞仍躺在银行的保险库里。是这么回事，老哥儿俩在闲谈中偶尔想到：如果有一个非常诚实和聪明的外地人流落到伦敦，他在这里连一个朋友都没有，身边除那张百万英镑大钞外分文全无，并且还无法证明他就是那张大钞的合法所有者，那么他的命运将会怎样？一个说，这人会饿死；另一个说，绝不会，一个说，这人不能把大钞拿到银行或其他地方去用，因为他会当场被捕。于是老哥儿俩继续争论下去，直到那另一个说，他愿意拿两万英镑打赌，他认为这个外地人靠那张钞票，不管怎么说，也能活30天，并且不会进监狱。他的兄弟接受了他提出的条件。于是他就直奔银行把那张大钞买了回来。你瞧，他像个真正的英国人，浑身是胆雄赳赳。接着他口授了一封信，由他的一名秘书用漂亮的正楷写下来，然后这哥儿俩就在窗前坐了一整天，想物色一名适当人选，把信交给他。
They saw many honest faces go by that were not intelligent enough; many that were intelligent but not honest enough; many that were both, but the possessors were not poor enough, or, if poor enough, were not strangers. There was always a defect, until I came along; but they agreed that I filled the bill all around; so they elected me unanimously, and there I was, now, waiting to know why I was called in. They began to ask me questions about myself, and pretty soon they had my story. Finally they told me I would answer their purpose. I said I was sincerely glad, and asked what it was. Then one of them handed me an envelope, and said I would find the explanation inside. I was going to open it, but he said no; take it to my lodgings, and look it over carefully, and not be hasty or rash. I was puzzled, and wanted to discuss the matter a little further, but they didn’t; so I took my leave, feeling hurt and insulted to be made the butt of what was apparently some kind of a practical joke, and yet obliged to put up with it, not being in circumstances to resent affronts from rich and strong folk.
他俩看见许多面相诚实的人走过，但这些人又显得不够聪明；许多面相聪明的人又显得不够诚实；许多人面相既聪明又诚实，但又不像是穷人；还有些人虽然具备了上述三个条件，但又不像是外地人。在我走过之前，他俩看到的人们总是有欠缺，他俩认为我符合全部条件，一致选定了我，现在我就在他们家里等着，想知道他们把我叫进屋来的原因。他们开始问有关我个人的问题，很快就弄清了我的来龙去脉。最后，他们告诉我说，我完全符合他们的意图。我说，我真的很高兴，并打听他们的意图究竟是什么。老哥儿俩之一递给我一只信封，说是我可以从中得到答案。我刚要把它拆开时，他说：别拆。要我带回寓所，然后仔细观看，不要慌不要忙。我满腹狐疑，要求他们把这件事解释得稍微详细一点，但却遭到了拒绝；于是我只得告辞，心里感到很屈辱，这明明是个恶作剧之类，而自己成了他们取笑的对象，然而我必须忍受，因为按照我目前的处境，我是不能对有财有势人物加于我的侮辱表示愤恨的。
I would have picked up the pear, now, and eaten it before all the world, but it was gone; so I had lost that by this unlucky business, and the thought of it did not soften my feeling towards those men. As soon as I was out of sight of that house I opened my envelope, and saw that it contained money! My opinion of those people changed, I can tell you! I lost not a moment, but shoved note and money into my vest-pocket, and broke for the nearest cheap eating-house. Well, how I did eat! When at last I couldn’t hold any more, I took out my money and unfolded it, took one glimpse and nearly fainted. Five millions of dollars! Why, it made my head swim.
现在我真想把那只梨捡起来当众吃掉，但是找不到了，就为了这桩倒霉的买卖把梨子丢失了，想到这一点，我对这两个人，登时气儿不打一处来。我刚走到看不见那座房子的地方，就把信封拆开，看见里面装着钱！我要告诉你，我对这两个人的看法改变了！我一秒钟都不耽误，把信和钱往背心口袋里一塞，就冲进附近一个廉价餐厅。好啊，瞧我是怎么吃的！等我把肚子撑得多一口都容不下时，我拿出那张钞票，把它打开，只瞥了一眼，我差点儿没晕过去。百万英镑！合500万美元呢！怎么啦，它让我感觉天旋地转。
I must have sat there stunned and blinking at the note as much as a minute before I came rightly to myself again. The first thing I noticed, then, was the landlord. His eye was on the note, and he was petrified. He was worshipping, with all his body and soul, but he looked as if he couldn’t stir hand or foot. I took my cue in a moment, and did the only rational thing there was to do. I reached the note towards him, and said carelessly:
我准是晕晕乎乎坐在那里，面对那张钞票直眨巴眼，足足有一分钟之久才清醒过来。接着，我第一个注意的目标就是那家餐厅的老板。他的眼睛盯住那张钞票，整个人都僵住了。他全身心都在顶礼膜拜，但是看样子似乎手脚都不能动弹了。霎时间我有了主意，采取了在那场合唯一合理的行动。我把那张钞票递给他，并以漫不经心的口气说：
‘Give me the change, please.’
“请你找一下。”
Then he was restored to his normal condition, and made a thousand apologies for not being able to break the bill, and I couldn’t get him to touch it. He wanted to look at it, and keep on looking at it; he couldn’t seem to get enough of it to quench the thirst of his eye, but he shrank from touching it as if it had been something too sacred for poor common clay to handle. I said:
他也恢复了常态，口里一迭连声地道歉说，他实在找不开，我把钞票往他手里塞，他连连缩手，连碰都不敢碰它。他想看那张钞票，他饥渴的目光牢牢盯住它，似乎怎么看都看不够，但是他不敢碰它，似乎那是一件圣物，绝不是可怜的肉身凡胎可以接触的。我说：
‘I am sorry if it is an inconvenience, but I must insist. Please change it; I haven’t anything else.’
“很抱歉，给你们添麻烦了，不过我还得请你给破开；我身边只有这张钞票。”
But he said that wasn’t any matter; he was quite willing to let the trifle stand over till another time. I said I might not be in his neighbourhood again for a good while; but he said it was of no consequence, he could wait, and, moreover, I could have anything I wanted, any time I chose, and let the account run as long as I pleased. He said he hoped he wasn’t afraid to trust as rich a gentleman as I was, merely because I was of a merry disposition, and chose to play larks on the public in the matter of dress. By this time another customer was entering, and the landlord hinted to me to put the monster out of sight; then he bowed me all the way to the door, and I started straight for that house and those brothers, to correct the mistake which had been made before the police should hunt me up, and help me do it. I was pretty nervous, in fact pretty badly frightened, though, of course, I was no way in fault; but I knew men well enough to know that when they find they’ve given a tramp a million-pound bill when they thought it was a one-pounder, they are in a frantic rage against him instead of quarrelling with their own near-sightedness, as they ought. As I approached the house my excitement began to abate, for all was quiet there, which made me feel pretty sure the blunder was not discovered yet. I rang. The same servant appeared. I asked for those gentlemen.
他说，这点小事不算什么；他很乐意把这笔小账延迟到下次再收。我告诉他，这一阵子我可能不会到这一带来；他说，毫无问题，他可以等，不但如此，我可以随意选择任何时间来吃任何食品，并且愿意什么时候付账就什么时候付账。他说，我完全是因为生性诙谐才故意在穿着打扮上和大家开个玩笑，他希望自己没有因此就怀疑起像我这样有钱的一位绅士来。刚说到这里，另一位顾客走了进来，老板示意让我把那件圣物收好，别让他瞧见；接着，老板一路打躬作揖把我送出店门。我径直回到那两位兄弟的住宅，趁着警察还没有把我拘捕，想请他们帮助我纠正刚才发生的错误。我紧张极了，说实话，我害怕得很，当然，这并不是我的错；我洞悉人情事理，我知道，当他俩发现自己把一张百万英镑大钞错当成1英镑送给一名流浪汉时，一定会把满腔怒火发泄在他头上，而不会通情达理地责怪自己的近视眼。当我来到那座房子前面时，紧张的心情有所缓和，因为那里一片宁静，这使我确信，他们尚未发现那桩重大的错误。我拉响门铃。应门的还是刚才那位仆人。我说想见那两位绅士。
‘They are gone.’ This in the lofty, cold way of that fellow’s tribe.
“他们不在。”用的是那一类仆人惯用的傲慢、冰冷的口气。
‘Gone? Gone where?’
“不在？他们在哪儿？”
‘On a journey.’
“出门旅行了。”
‘But whereabouts?’
“去哪儿了？”
‘To the Continent, I think.’
“我想是去大陆了吧。”
‘The Continent?’
“大陆？”
‘Yes, sir.’
“是的，先生。”
‘Which way—by what route?’
“去哪儿——走哪条路线？”
‘I can’t say, sir.’
“我说不上来，先生。”
‘When will they be back?’
“他们什么时候回来？”
‘In a month, they said.’
“他们说，过一个月。”
‘A month! Oh, this is awful! Give me some sort of idea of how to get a word to them. It’s of the last importance.’
“一个月！噢，太糟了！请你尽量给我想个办法，我要给他们说句话。这可是件极端重要的事。”
‘I can’t, indeed. I’ve no idea where they’ve gone, sir.’
“真的，我不能。他们在哪儿我一点都不知道，先生。”
‘Then I must see some member of the family.’
“那么我一定要见这家的其他主人。”
‘Family’s away too; been abroad months—in Egypt and India, I think.’
“其他主人也不在；出国都几个月了——我想是在埃及和印度吧。”
‘Man, there’s been an immense mistake made. They’ll be back before night. Will you tell them I’ve been here, and that I will keep coming till it’s all made right, and they needn’t be afraid?’
“老兄，这里发生了一件大错。不等天黑他们准会回来的。请你转告他们好吗：我来过了，以后还要来，直到把这件大错纠正过来，请他们不必担心。”
‘I’ll tell them, if they come back, but I am not expecting them. They said you would be here in an hour to make inquiries, but I must tell you it’s all right, they’ll be here on time and expect you.’
“如果他们回来，我会转告他们的，不过我看他们不会回来。他们说来着，要不了一个小时你就会跑来打听一件什么事的，不过我必须告诉你：事情一切正常，他们会及时回来，在这儿等候你。”
So I had to give it up and go away. What a riddle it all was! I was like to lose my mind. They would be here ‘on time.’ What could that mean? Oh, the letter would explain, maybe. I had forgotten the letter; I got it out and read it. This is what it said:
于是我只得放弃努力，离开那里。这一切究竟是个什么样的谜！我几乎要发狂。他们会“及时”回来的。这是什么意思？噢，也许他们的信能提供答案。我把他们的信忘掉了，我拿出信来看。信是这么写的：
‘You are an intelligent and honest man, as one may see by your face. We conceive you to be poor and a stranger. Enclosed you will find a sum of money. It is lent to you for thirty days, without interest. Report at this house at the end of that time. I have a bet on you. If I win it you shall have any situation that is in my gift—any, that is, that you shall be able to prove yourself familiar with and competent to fill.’
看你的脸就知道：你是一位既聪明又诚实的人。我们推测你很穷，而且是个外地人。你会发现信封里装着一笔钱。这笔钱借给你30天，不要利息。限期结束，请来这里向我们汇报。我拿你打了个赌。假如我赢了，你将获得我能指派的任何职位——也就是说，你能证明自己既熟悉又能胜任的任何职位。
No signature, no address, no date.
没有签名，没有地址，没有日期。
Well, here was a coil to be in! You are posted on what had preceded all this, but I was not. It was just a deep, dark puzzle to me. I hadn’t the least idea what the game was, nor whether harm was meant me or a kindness. I went into a park, and sat down to try to think it out, and to consider what I had best do.
好啊，我掉进是非圈里去了！读者诸君对事情的起因完全清楚，可是我当时还一无所知。在我看来，这是个深不可测的、黑色的迷魂阵。我一点儿也不知道他俩玩的是什么游戏，也不知道它对我说来是个祸害还是件善举。我走进一座公园，坐下来好好想想，这究竟是怎么回事，我该怎么办才好。
At the end of an hour, my reasonings had crystallised into this verdict.
一小时以后，我经过推理得出这样的结论：
Maybe those men mean me well, maybe they mean me ill; no way to decide that—let it go. They’ve got a game, or a scheme, or an experiment of some kind on hand; no way to determine what it is—let it go. There’s a bet on me; no way to find out what it is—let it go. That disposes of the indeterminable quantities; the remainder of the matter is tangible, solid, and may be classed and labelled with certainty. If I ask the Bank of England to place this bill to the credit of the man it belongs to, they’ll do it, for they know him, although I don’t; but they will ask me how I came in possession of it, and if I tell the truth, they’ll put me in the asylum, naturally, and a lie will land me in jail. The same result would follow if I tried to bank the bill anywhere or to borrow money on it. I have got to carry this immense burden around until those men come back, whether I want to or not. It is useless to me, as useless as a handful of ashes, and yet I must take care of it, and watch over it, while I beg my living. I couldn’t give it away, if I should try, for neither honest citizen nor highwayman would accept it or meddle with it for anything. Those brothers are safe. Even if I lose their bill, or burn it, they are still safe, because they can stop payment, and the Bank will make them whole; but meantime, I’ve got to do a month’s suffering without wages or profit—unless I help win that bet, whatever it may be, and get that situation that I am promised. I should like to get that; men of their sort have situations in their gift that are worth having.
也许他俩对我抱着善意，也许他俩对我怀有恶意，究竟如何，无法断定——由它去吧；他们正在玩什么游戏，搞什么阴谋，做什么试验之类，既然无法断定——由它去吧；他们拿我打赌，弄不清楚赌的是什么——由它去吧；对于无法确定的事就这么处理了；至于剩下的事那倒是明确无误、实实在在的，有把握加以归类和确定。如果我要求英格兰银行把这张钞票放进它主人的账户，银行会照办的，因为他们知道它属于谁，尽管我不知道。问题是他们准会问我这张钞票怎么会落入我的手中，如果我对他们说真话，他们就会把我送进收容所，当然，如果我编造谎言，他们就会把我投入监狱。如果我把这张钞票存入任何一家银行或拿它抵押贷款，结果也是一样。看来在他们回来之前，不管我愿不愿意，我只好始终把这个沉重的负担带在身边了。它对我毫无用处，就像是一把炉灰，然而即使我沿门乞讨时也得小心照料它，仔细保管它。即使我想把它送掉也一定送不出去，因为无论诚实的公民或拦路打劫的强盗都不会接受它或与它发生什么瓜葛。这老哥儿俩没有任何风险。即使我把他们的钞票弄丢了，或烧掉了，他们仍然万无一失，因为他们可以挂失，银行会让他们的钱完好无损；可是我却要在没有工资、没有好处的情况下受一个月的罪——除非我能帮助老哥儿俩之一打赢他的赌——不管他们打的是什么赌——我就能获得他答应我的那个职位。我当然想取得那个职位；像他们那样的人能够指派的职位是值得我去争取的。
I got to thinking a good deal about that situation. My hopes began to rise high. Without doubt the salary would be large. It would begin in a month; after that I should be all right. Pretty soon I was feeling first-rate. By this time I was tramping the streets again. The sight of a tailor-shop gave me a sharp longing to shed my rags, and to clothe myself decently once more. Could I afford it? No; I had nothing in the world but a million pounds. So I forced myself to go on by. But soon I was drifting back again. The temptation persecuted me cruelly. I must have passed that shop back and forth six times during that manful struggle. At last I gave in; I had to. I asked if they had a misfit suit that had been thrown on their hands. The fellow I spoke to nodded his head towards another fellow, and gave me no answer. I went to the indicated fellow, and he indicated another fellow with his head, and no words. I went to him, and he said:
我对那个职位充满遐想。我的期望值开始增高。毫无疑问，薪水准低不了。过一个月就可以开始就职了，从此我将一帆风顺。顷刻间我的感觉就变得极为良好。这时我又在大街上踱步了。看见一家成衣铺时，我心里升起了一个强烈的愿望，想把身上的一堆破烂扔掉，重新穿戴得整整齐齐。我买得起吗？不，除了那张百万英镑大钞，我身无分文。所以我强迫自己赶快离开。然而，我很快又回到那个地点。那诱惑在残酷地折磨我。在内心激烈交战时，我在那家铺子前来来回回走了六趟。我最终还是被战胜了；我不得不这样。我问他们店里有没有做得不合适被顾客退回来的服装。我询问的那名店员根本不理我，只是对另一名店员点头示意。我走到他点头示意的那个家伙面前，他还是不理我，又向另一个家伙点头示意。我又走到那人面前，他说：
‘’Tend to you presently.’
“马上就来。”
I waited till he was done with what he was at, then he took me into a back room, and overhauled a pile of rejected suits, and selected the rattiest one for me. I put it on. It didn’t fit, and wasn’t in any way attractive, but it was new, and I was anxious to have it; so I didn’t find any fault, but said with some diffidence:
我一直等他干完了他手头的工作，才被他领进后面一个房间。他解开一大堆报废的服装，挑了一套最不像样的给我。我穿上了。它一点也不合身，更说不上漂亮，不过倒是新的，我实在想要它；于是我毫无挑剔之意，只是有点不好意思地说：
‘It would be an accommodation to me if you could wait some days for the money. I haven’t any small change about me.’
“请你们照顾一下，我过几天再付款。我身上没有带零钱。”
The fellow worked up a most sarcastic expression of countenance, and said:
那家伙脸上做出恶毒讽刺的表情，说：
‘Oh, you haven’t? Well, of course, I didn’t expect it. I’d only expect gentlemen like you to carry large change.’
“噢，你没有带零钱？对了，当然喽，我料到你没有带。我想象得到，像你这样的绅士身上只会带大票子。”
I was nettled, and said:
我被他惹火了，说：
‘My friend, you shouldn’t judge a stranger always by the clothes he wears. I am quite able to pay for this suit; I simply didn’t wish to put you to the trouble of changing a large note.’
“朋友，你对外地人不能总是只认衣衫不认人。我完全付得起这套衣服的钱；我只是不想让你因为找不开一张大票子而为难。”
He modified his style a little at that, and said, though still with something of an air:
听了这话，他的态度稍微好了一点，但仍然有些盛气凌人地说：
‘I didn’t mean any particular harm, but as long as rebukes are going, I might say it wasn’t quite your affair to jump to the conclusion that we couldn’t change any note that you might happen to be carrying around. On the contrary, we can.’
“我没有伤害人的意思，不过，对于你刚才的指责，我要告诉你，你匆匆下结论说我们找不开你身上恰好带的钞票，那你就不必替我们操心了。事情恰恰相反，我们找得开。”
I handed the note to him, and said:
我把那张钞票递给他，说：
‘Oh, very well; I apologise.’
“噢，太好了，我向你道歉。”
He received it with a smile, one of those large smiles which goes all around over, and has folds in it, and wrinkles, and spirals, and looks like the place where you have thrown a brick in a pond; and then in the act of his taking a glimpse of the bill this smile froze solid, and turned yellow, and looked like those wavy, wormy spreads of lava which you find hardened on little levels on the side of Vesuvius. I never before saw a smile caught like that, and perpetuated. The man stood there holding the bill, and looking like that, and the proprietor hustled up to see what was the matter, and said briskly:
他接钱时发出微笑，那是一种布满整个脸蛋的大型的微笑，中间还有皱褶、鱼尾纹和螺线纹，就像你往池塘里扔块石头一样；当他朝钞票瞥了一眼时，那微笑立即冻成了冰，霎时间脸都黄了，就像你可以在维苏威火山侧面的小平川上看到的那些波纹状的、一条条蠕虫似的凝固熔岩。在此以前我还从来没有看见过谁的微笑竟会这样固定住并且僵在那里，那个人手握钞票站着，显出一副怪相，店主人急忙跑来看是怎么一回事，他用轻松的语气说：
‘Well, what’s up? what’s the trouble? what’s wanting?’
“哟，怎么啦？有什么麻烦吗？还需要什么？”
I said, ‘There isn’t any trouble. I’m waiting for my change.’
我说：“什么麻烦都没有。我正等着他找钱呢。”
‘Come, come; get him his change, Tod; get him his change.’
“喂，喂，托德，给他找钱呀，给他找钱呀。”
Tod retorted: ‘Get him his change! It’s easy to say, sir; but look at the bill yourself.’
托德回答说：“给他找钱！说说倒容易，老板，您自己看看这张钞票吧。”
The proprietor took a look, gave a low, eloquent whistle, then made a dive for the pile of rejected clothing, and began to snatch it this way and that, talking all the time excitedly, and as if to himself:
老板看了一眼，富于表情地吹出一声低低的口哨，接着他一头扎进那堆退回来的服装中，左翻右找，他神情激动，嘴里念念有词，似乎在自言自语：
‘Sell an eccentric millionaire such an unspeakable suit as that! Tod’s a fool—a born fool. Always doing something like this. Drives every millionaire away from this place, because he can’t tell a millionaire from a tramp, and never could. Ah, here’s the thing I’m after. Please get those things off, sir, and throw them in the fire. Do me the favour to put on this shirt and this suit; it’s just the thing, the very thing—plain, rich, modest, and just ducally nobby; made to order for a foreign prince—you may know him, sir, his Serene Highness the Hospodar of Halifax; had to leave it with us and take a mourning-suit because his mother was going to die—which she didn’t. But that’s all right; we can’t always have things the way we—that is, the way they—there! trousers all right, they fit you to a charm, sir; now the waistcoat: aha, right again! now the coat—lord! look at that, now! Perfect, the whole thing! I never saw such a triumph in all my experience.’
“居然把一套蹩脚透顶的衣服卖给脾气古怪的百万富翁！托德是个笨蛋——天生的笨蛋。总是做出这样的蠢事来。他连谁是百万富翁、谁是流浪汉都分不清，从来就分不清，把光临小店的百万富翁都得罪走了。啊，我找的东西在这儿啦。先生，请把您身上穿的那玩意儿脱下来，扔进火炉里去。请您赏光把这件衬衫和这套衣服穿上；这才合适，就它合适——淡雅、高贵、庄重，真正的公爵气派；这是一位外国亲王定做的——先生，您也许认识他，尊敬的哈利法克斯大公殿下；他因母亲病危，没有取走，另外赶制了一套丧服——那位老夫人后来倒没有死。不过这一切都不成问题；事情总不能老是按照我们的——呃，他们的——好嘞！裤子刚好合身，简直神气透了，先生；现在穿背心，啊哈，甭提多合适啦！现在试试上衣——天呐！您瞧瞧，哟！简直十全十美——上上下下里里外外都倍儿棒！我一辈子还没见过这么称心如意的杰作呢！”
I expressed my satisfaction.
我也表示十分满意。
‘Quite right, sir, quite right; it’ll do for a makeshift, I’m bound to say. But wait till you see what we’ll get up for you on your own measure. Come, Tod, book and pen; get at it. Length of leg, 32’—and so on. Before I could get in a word he had measured me, and was giving orders for dress-suits, morning suits, shirts, and all sorts of things. When I got a chance I said:
“您说得对，先生，说得对；可是我还得说，这套衣服是给您凑合着穿的。以后请您看看我们按您的尺寸做的衣服是什么样子的吧。来，托德，拿本子和笔来；赶快记。腿长32”——等等等等。我还没来得及插话，他就已经把我的尺寸量好了，并且下命令给我做大礼服、常礼服、衬衫以及其他一应穿着。等我有机会插话时，我说：
‘But, my dear sir, I can’t give these orders, unless you can wait indefinitely, or change the bill.’
“且慢，亲爱的先生，我不能定做这些衣服，除非你能不定期限等我付款，要不就把那张钞票找开。”
‘Indefinitely! It’s a weak word, sir, a weak word. Eternally—that’s the word, sir. Tod, rush these things through, and send them to the gentleman’s address without any waste of time. Let the minor customers wait. Set down the gentleman’s address and——’
“‘不定期限’！这么说还不够味儿，先生，不够味儿。应该说‘永远’等下去才对，先生。托德，把这批货赶出来，立刻送到这位绅士的住处，不许耽搁。让那些小客户等一等嘛。把这位绅士的地址记下来……”
‘I’m changing my quarters. I will drop in and leave the new address.’
“我正准备搬家呢。我以后走过这里会进来把新地址留给你们的。”
‘Quite right, sir, quite right. One moment—let me show you out, sir. There—good day, sir, good day.’
“好极了，先生，好极了。请等一等，先生，让我送您到门口。您走好……再见，先生，再见。”
Well, don’t you see what was bound to happen? I drifted naturally into buying whatever I wanted, and asking for change. Within a week I was sumptuously equipped with all needful comforts and luxuries, and was housed in an expensive private hotel in Hanover Square. I took my dinners there, but for breakfast I stuck by Harris’s humble feeding-house, where I had got my first meal on my million-pound bill. I was the making of Harris. The fact had gone all abroad that the foreign crank who carried million-pound bills in his vest-pocket was the patron saint of the place. That was enough. From being a poor, struggling, little hand-to-mouth enterprise, it had become celebrated, and overcrowded with customers. Harris was so grateful that he forced loans upon me, and would not be denied; and so, pauper as I was, I had money to spend, and was living like the rich and the great. I judged that there was going to be a crash by and by, but I was in, now, and must swim across or drown. You see there was just that element of impending disaster to give a serious side, a sober side, yes, a tragic side, to a state of things which would otherwise have been purely ridiculous. In the night, in the dark, the tragedy part was always to the front, and always warning, always threatening; and so I moaned and tossed, and sleep was hard to find. But in the cheerful daylight the tragedy element faded out and disappeared, and I walked on air, and was happy to giddiness, to intoxication, you may say.
好啦，你知道随后会发生什么事吗？我自然就拐进任何一家店铺去购买需要的任何东西，并拿出那张钞票让他们找。不过一星期，我已经把需要的一切生活享受和奢侈物品都购买齐全，并在汉诺威广场一家收费昂贵的内部旅馆安顿下来。我在那家旅馆用两顿正餐，而早餐却坚持要在哈里斯小饭店用，那就是我初次用那张百万英镑钞票吃第一顿饭的地方。我使那家廉价餐厅顿时身价百倍。到处都在传说这样一件事：一位怀揣百万英镑的、脾气古怪的外国绅士是那里的保护神。这就足够了。这家本来在勉强支撑的可怜的小店顿时变成顾客盈门、买卖兴隆的著名场所。老板哈里斯感激涕零，坚持要借钱给我花，而且不容我推辞；于是，尽管我是个穷汉，但却不缺钱花，活得像大富豪一般。我审时度势，知道自己不久就会垮台，不过我既然已经下了水，也只好奋力向前游去，或者溺水身亡。你知道，要是没有这种大祸即将临头的感觉给当前的事态指出其严肃的、清醒的，对了，还有悲剧性的一面，那么这情景就纯粹是一个荒唐的笑话了。到了晚上，在黑暗中，这悲剧性的一面总会在前台出现，它始终在警告我、威胁我；于是我痛苦呻吟、辗转反侧、夜不能寐。但是，在令人愉快的白天，悲剧的影子渐渐消褪了，于是我洋洋得意，欣喜若狂，你该说我简直昏了头。
And it was natural; for I had become one of the notorieties of the metropolis of the world, and it turned my head, not just a little, but a good deal. You could not take up a newspaper, English, Scotch, or Irish, without finding in it one or more references to the ‘vest-pocket million-pounder’ and his latest doings and sayings. At first, in these mentions, I was at the bottom of the personal gossip column; next, I was listed above the knights, next above the baronets, next above the barons, and so on, and so on, climbing steadily, as my notoriety augmented, until I reached the highest altitude possible, and there I remained, taking precedence of all dukes not royal, and of all ecclesiastics except the Primate of all England. But, mind, this was not fame; as yet I had achieved only notoriety. Then came the climaxing stroke—the accolade, so to speak—which in a single instance transmuted the perishable dross of notoriety into the enduring gold of fame: ‘Punch’ caricatured me! Yes, I was a made man, now: my place was established. I might be joked about still, but reverently, not hilariously, not rudely; I could be smiled at, but not laughed at. The time for that had gone by. ‘Punch’ pictured me all a-flutter with rags, dickering with a beefeater for the Tower of London. Well, you can imagine how it was with a young fellow who had never been taken notice of before, and now all of a sudden couldn’t say a thing that wasn’t taken up and repeated everywhere; couldn’t stir abroad without constantly overhearing the remark flying from lip to lip, ‘There he goes; that’s him!’ couldn’t take his breakfast without a crowd to look on; couldn’t appear in an opera-box without concentrating there the fire of a thousand lorgnettes. Why, I just swam in glory all day long—that is the amount of it.
这是很自然的，因为我已成为世界第一大都会的著名人物之一，这使我头脑膨胀，不是一点点，而是整个儿发了昏。你随便拿起一张报纸，无论是英格兰的、苏格兰的或是爱尔兰的，上面总有不止一则关于那位“怀揣百万英镑的大富翁”的消息，报道他最新的言论和行动。起初，关于我的报道登在“人物琐谈”栏的最低处；后来，我列名于爵士们之上，接着，在从男爵们之下，随后又居于男爵们之上，就像这样，随着我的名声大噪，我的地位一再稳定地攀升，最终到达可能达到的最高位置——比一切非王室成员的公爵们以及除坎特伯雷大主教以外的一切神职人员都要高，于是我就稳居在这个位置上了。请注意，这还不是真正的声望；迄今为止，我只是引起了轰动而已。接着来了登峰造极的一笔——这么说吧，就像给骑士授勋一样——顷刻之间就把容易朽腐的浮名的残渣点化成永不磨灭的声望的真金：《笨拙周报》把我画成漫画刊登了！对啦，我现在已经成为名人；我的地位已经确立。也许仍有人会对我开开玩笑，但那口气里总带着敬意，绝不是粗鲁的嬉闹。人们会向我微笑，却绝不会大声嘲笑。我受嘲笑的时候已经过去了。《笨拙周报》上的我，一身破衣飘舞，正和伦敦塔的一名卫士在讨价还价呢。喂，你准能想象得出那种滋味，像我这样一个以前谁也不会注意的年轻小伙子，突然之间，说出的每一句话都会有人记录下来，到处传播；出门走动时总是听到人们悄悄传诵：“那边走着的，就是他！”吃早饭时都有一大群人围观；每当我出现在歌剧院，总不免成为上千副长柄望远镜聚焦的对象。啊，我整天在荣耀的明光中游泳——总而言之，就是这么一回事。
You know, I even kept my old suit of rags, and every now and then appeared in them, so as to have the old pleasure of buying trifles, and being insulted, and then shooting the scoffer dead with the million-pound bill. But I couldn’t keep that up. The illustrated papers made the outfit so familiar that when I went out in it I was at once recognised and followed by a crowd, and if I attempted a purchase the man would offer me his whole shop on credit before I could pull my note on him.
你知道吗，我还留着原先那套破衣烂衫，偶尔穿着它上街买些小零碎，为的是重享以前购物受辱时掏出百万英镑、把藐视我的人吓死的那种快乐。但我很快就失去了这一乐趣。报纸上的漫画把我的这副行头弄得尽人皆知，我穿着它上街立刻就被人认出，跟踪我的人有一大堆，如果我想买一样东西，还没来得及掏出那张钞票，老板就会主动提出：整个店铺里的货物都可供我任意取用，无须付现金，记账即可。
About the tenth day of my fame I went to fulfil my duty to my flag by paying my respects to the American minister. He received me with the enthusiasm proper in my case, upbraided me for being so tardy in my duty, and said that there was only one way to get his forgiveness, and that was to take the seat at his dinner-party that night made vacant by the illness of one of his guests. I said I would, and we got to talking. It turned out that he and my father had been schoolmates in boyhood, Yale students together later, and always warm friends up to my father’s death. So then he required me to put in at his house all the odd time I might have to spare, and I was very willing, of course.
大约在我名声大噪后的第十天，我去美国驻英使馆向公使致意，以尽到一个美国公民对祖国的责任。他用适合我身份的热情态度接待我，责备我不该这么晚才来履行公民的责任，他说，我只有一个办法能得到他的原谅，那就是出席他今晚举行的盛大宴会，一位贵宾因病缺席，我正好填补这一空缺。我说我会来的，接着我俩就随便聊天。谈话中得知他和家父原来从小就是同学，以后又一起上了耶鲁大学，直到家父去世，他俩一直保持着亲密的友谊。于是他请我一有空就来他家作客，我当然非常愿意。
In fact I was more than willing; I was glad. When the crash should come, he might somehow be able to save me from total destruction; I didn’t know how, but he might think of a way, maybe. I couldn’t venture to unbosom myself to him at this late date, a thing which I would have been quick to do in the beginning of this awful career of mine in London. No, I couldn’t venture it now; I was in too deep; that is, too deep for me to be risking revelations to so new a friend, though not clear beyond my depth, as I looked at it. Because, you see, with all my borrowing, I was carefully keeping within my means—I mean within my salary. Of course I couldn’t know what my salary was going to be, but I had a good enough basis for an estimate in the fact that, if I won the bet, I was to have choice of any situation in that rich old gentleman’s gift provided I was competent—and I should certainly prove competent; I hadn’t any doubt about that. And as to the bet, I wasn’t worrying about that; I had always been lucky. Now, my estimate of the salary was six hundred to a thousand a year; say, six hundred for the first year, and so on up year by year, till I struck the upper figure by proved merit. At present I was only in debt for my first year’s salary. Everybody had been trying to lend me money, but I had fought off the most of them on one pretext or another; so this indebtedness represented only £300 borrowed money, the other £300 represented my keep and my purchases. I believed my second year’s salary would carry me through the rest of the month if I went on being cautious and economical, and I intended to look sharply out for that. My month ended, my employer back from his journey, I should be all right once more, for I should at once divide the two years’ salary among my creditors by assignment, and get right down to my work.
事实上，我岂但愿意，简直太乐意这样做了。等到大祸临头的那天，他也许能救我，使我免遭灭顶之灾；我不知道怎么个帮法，但也许他能想出个什么办法来。如果我在伦敦奇遇的开始阶段就认识他，我会立刻就把事实真相向他袒露无余的，可是现在为时已晚，我不敢说了；我已陷得太深；那就是说，已经深到不敢向这样一位新结识的朋友袒露衷曲的地步，尽管在我看来，还不能说已经遭到了灭顶之灾。因为，你知道吗，每当我欠账的时候，我总是小心谨慎地使我的赊欠不超过我的支付能力——我的意思是不超过我的薪水。当然，我不知道自己将来能挣到多少薪水，不过我有充分的依据可以估计到这样一个事实：如果我赢得赌注，我就能选择那位富有的老绅士能指派的任何职位，只要我能够胜任——我当然有能力证明自己能够胜任，对此我充满自信。说到他们打的赌，我一点都不担心：我的运气从来都很好。我估计自己的薪水是每年600到1000英镑，也就是说，第一年挣600英镑，然后逐年加薪，最终靠自己的优秀表现达到那上限数额。迄今为止，我仅仅欠下我第一年的薪水而已。谁都争着要借钱给我花，而我总是以种种借口谢绝了大部分这类提议，所以我的全部债务仅仅包括300英镑现金和另外300英镑生活费和购物费。我相信我第二年的薪水足以供我度过这一个月剩下的日子，只要我继续保持谨慎小心和厉行节约，我决心严格注意这一点。只要我这一个月期限结束，我的雇主旅行归来，我就将万事如意，我会立刻把我两年的薪水分别偿付给我的债主们，然后马上专心致志地工作了。
It was a lovely dinner party of fourteen. The Duke and Duchess of Shoreditch, and their daughter the Lady Anne-Grace-Eleanor-Celeste-and-so-forth-and-so-forth-de-Bohun, the Earl and Countess of Newgate, Viscount Cheapside, Lord and Lady Blatherskite, some untitled people of both sexes, the minister and his wife and daughter, and his daughter’s visiting friend, an English girl of twenty-two, named Portia Langham, whom I fell in love with in two minutes, and she with me—I could see it without glasses. There was still another guest, an American—but I am a little ahead of my story. While the people were still in the drawing-room, whetting up for dinner, and coldly inspecting the late comers, the servant announced:
那是一次令人愉快的宴会，共有14个人参加。肖尔迪奇公爵和公爵夫人以及他们的女公子安妮-格蕾丝-埃莉诺-西莱斯特-等等等等、德-波亨夫人、纽盖特伯爵和伯爵夫人、奇普赛埃德子爵、布莱泽斯凯特勋爵和勋爵夫人、几位没有爵位的男女贵宾、公使和公使夫人以及他们的女儿，还有一位名叫波西娅·兰厄姆的英国姑娘，她是公使小姐的密友，年方22岁，没过两分钟我就爱上了她，她也爱上了我——我不用戴眼镜就看得出来。当天赴宴的还有另外一位客人，他是个美国人——不过我叙述的故事有点儿提前了。当时客人们还都在客厅里，刺激胃口准备用餐，一面冷静地观察后来的客人，这时仆人宣布：
‘Mr. Lloyd Hastings.’
“劳埃德·黑斯廷斯先生到。”
The moment the usual civilities were over, Hastings caught sight of me, and came straight with cordially outstretched hand; then stopped short when about to shake, and said with an embarrassed look:
照通常的礼仪寒暄一番以后，黑斯廷斯一眼就瞧见了我，他直向我走来，一边热情地伸出他的手，刚准备和我握时，他忽然停住了，样子尴尬地说：
‘I beg your pardon, sir, I thought I knew you.’
“请原谅，先生，我还以为认识你呢。”
‘Why, you do know me, old fellow.’
“对呀，老朋友，你当然认识我。”
‘No! Are you the—the——?’
“不，您不是那位……那位……”
‘Vest-pocket monster? I am, indeed. Don’t be afraid to call me by my nickname; I’m used to it.’
“怀揣百万的怪物吗？我就是。尽管用我的绰号称呼我好了，不必多虑，我已经听惯了。”
‘Well, well, well, this is a surprise. Once or twice I’ve seen your own name coupled with the nickname, but it never occurred to me that you could be the Henry Adams referred to. Why, it isn’t six months since you were clerking away for Blake Hopkins in Frisco on a salary, and sitting up nights on an extra allowance, helping me arrange and verify the Gould and Curry Extension papers and statistics. The idea of your being in London, and a vast millionaire, and a colossal celebrity! Why, it’s the Arabian Nights come again. Man, I can’t take it in at all; can’t realise it; give me time to settle the whirl in my head.’
“啊呀呀，真是意想不到。有一两回我看见你的名字和那个绰号联系在一起，但我从没有想到人们所说的那位亨利·亚当斯居然就是你。怎么啦，不到半年以前，你在金山城给布莱克·霍浦金斯当办事员，挣一份薪水，为了几个加班费还时常熬夜，帮我整理及核对古尔德和柯利扩展计划的文件及统计资料。真没想到你会在伦敦，成了一位怀揣百万的大富豪，一位大名人！啊哈，这真是天方夜谭的再现。朋友，我简直无法接受这样的事实；我实在弄不懂；给我点时间，好让我脑子里的一团混乱平息下来。”
‘The fact is, Lloyd, you are no worse off than I am. I can’t realise it myself.’
“劳埃德，事实上你的脑子并不比我更乱。我自己也没有弄清楚。”
‘Dear me, it is stunning, now, isn’t it? Why, it’s just three months to-day since we went to the Miners’ restaurant——’
“天呐，这真让人目瞪口呆，不是吗？啊，那天我俩一起上矿工餐厅，算一算，到今天，不过才3个月……”
‘No; the What Cheer.’
“不对，那天上的是‘美食餐厅’。”
‘Right, it was the What Cheer; went there at two in the morning, and had a chop and coffee after a hard six hours’ grind over those Extension papers, and I tried to persuade you to come to London with me, and offered to get leave of absence for you and pay all your expenses, and give you something over if I succeeded in making the sale; and you would not listen to me, said I wouldn’t succeed, and you couldn’t afford to lose the run of business and be no end of time getting the hang of things again when you got back home. And yet here you are. How odd it all is! How did you happen to come, and whatever did give you this incredible start?’
“说的是，是‘美食餐厅’；那天我们是凌晨两点去的，我们为那些扩展计划文件苦干了6小时以后，才到那家餐厅吃了一块排骨，喝了一杯咖啡，我想说服你跟我一起去伦敦，还自告奋勇要替你去请假，说是一切费用都由我来出，如果这桩买卖做得成，我还答应分给你一定的好处费；可是你不听我的话，说我不会成功，还说要是你去的话，回来以后对于生意的动向就会感到生疏，这样就得花很多时间才能重新掌握要领，你实在损失不起。可是现在你却到这里来了。这一切实在太奇怪了！你是怎么来的，你究竟是怎样得到目前这种令人吃惊的有利地位的？”
‘Oh, just an accident. It’s a long story—a romance, a body may say. I’ll tell you all about it, but not now.
“噢，这只是一次意外事件。说来话长——可以说是一个传奇故事。我以后会统统告诉你的，可是现在不行。”
‘When?’
“什么时候？”
‘The end of this month.’
“这个月底。”
‘That’s more than a fortnight yet. It’s too much of a strain on a person’s curiosity. Make it a week.’
“还有半个多月呢。让一个人的好奇心长期得不到满足，简直太难受了。缩短成一星期吧。”
‘I can’t. You’ll know why, by and by. But how’s the trade getting along?’
“我办不到。以后你会知道为什么。不过，先说说你的买卖干得怎么样了？”
His cheerfulness vanished like a breath, and he said with a sigh:
他的愉快情绪顿时就消失得无影无踪，他长叹一声说：
‘You were a true prophet, Hal, a true prophet. I wish I hadn’t come. I don’t want to talk about it.’
“你是真正的预言家，哈尔，一位真正的预言家。我不来这里就好了。我不想谈论这件事。”
‘But you must. You must come and stop with me to-night, when we leave here, and tell me all about it.’
“你一定要谈。等宴会结束，你一定要到我的寓所去，今晚就住在那里，把一切详情都告诉我。”
‘Oh, may I? Are you in earnest?’ and the water showed in his eyes.
“噢，我能去吗？你这话当真？”说时他的眼睛都湿润了。
‘Yes; I want to hear the whole story, every word.’
“是的，我要听整个故事，一个字都不漏掉。”
‘I’m so grateful! Just to find a human interest once more, in some voice and in some eye, in me and affairs of mine, after what I’ve been through here—lord! I could go down on my knees for it!’
“我实在太感激了！经过在此地的这些遭遇，能从别人的声音和目光里再一次感受到有人对我和我的事务的关心——天呐！为了它，我简直可以下跪！”
He gripped my hand hard, and braced up, and was all right and lively after that for the dinner—which didn’t come off. No; the usual thing happened, the thing that is always happening under that vicious and aggravating English system—the matter of precedence couldn’t be settled, and so there was no dinner. Englishmen always eat dinner before they go out to dinner, because they know the risks they are running; but nobody ever warns the stranger, and so he walks placidly into the trap. Of course nobody was hurt this time, because we had all been to dinner, none of us being novices except Hastings, and he having been informed by the minister at the time that he invited him that in deference to the English custom he had not provided any dinner. Everybody took a lady and processioned down to the dining-room, because it is usual to go through the motions; but there the dispute began. The Duke of Shoreditch wanted to take precedence, and sit at the head of the table, holding that he outranked a minister who represented merely a nation and not a monarch; but I stood for my rights, and refused to yield. In the gossip column I ranked all dukes not royal, and said so, and claimed precedence of this one. It couldn’t be settled, of course, struggle as we might and did, he finally (and injudiciously) trying to play birth and antiquity, and I ‘seeing’ his Conqueror and ‘raising’ him with Adam, whose direct posterity I was, as shown by my name, while he was of a collateral branch, as shown by his, and by his recent Norman origin; so we all processioned back to the drawing-room again and had a perpendicular lunch—plate of sardines and a strawberry, and you group yourself and stand up and eat it. Here the religion of precedence is not so strenuous; the two persons of highest rank chuck up a shilling, the one that wins has first go at his strawberry, and the loser gets the shilling. The next two chuck up, then the next two, and so on. After refreshment, tables were brought, and we all played cribbage, sixpence a game. The English never play any game for amusement. If they can’t make something or lose something—they don’t care which—they won’t play.
他紧紧握住我的手，打起了精神，从这以后，他一直兴致很好、情绪活跃，准备用餐，而筵席还没开始。确实开不出来，老问题又发生了，那就是按照缺德的、让人恼火的英国礼仪办事时总要发生的排座次的问题，这问题不解决就无法入席吃饭。英国人总是吃了饭才去赴宴，因为他们懂得自己将会面临的风险。但是，谁也不会把这件事提醒一个外来的生手，所以这个生手就心平气和地走进了圈套。当然，这一次宴会谁也没有受到损害，因为我们都曾赴过宴，除了黑斯廷斯，没有一个人是生手，而公使在邀请黑斯廷斯时明明告诉过他：为了表示对英国习俗的尊重，他没有准备任何筵席。每位宾客都手挽一位女士，排着队走进餐厅，因为按照惯例这种样子是总要摆的。不过纷争恰恰从此开始了。肖尔迪奇公爵想走在前头，并且在餐桌上占据首席，他的理由是：他代表一个王国，而公使仅仅代表一个国家，因此他的级别比公使还要高；但是，我为维护自己的权利坚持斗争，决不让步。我说，在报纸上“人物琐谈”栏里，我的地位排在一切非王室成员的公爵们之上，所以有权坐在他的上首。当然，不管我俩如何争论，这个问题还是解决不了，最终他非常不明智地企图玩出身和古老家世这一手，我“看穿”他要提征服者，于是就“抬出”亚当来，说他就是我的直系祖先，只要看我的姓氏就能知道这一点，而他，从他的姓氏和晚近的诺尔曼血统就看得出来，他只是征服者的非嫡系旁支而已。于是我们全都列队回到客厅里面，吃了一顿直身餐——自己找伴儿，站直身子吃一碟沙丁鱼和一份草莓。在那里，人们对于排座次的追逐就显得不那么紧张激烈了：级别最高的两位来宾用扔一先令硬币的办法来角逐胜负，胜者可以先吃他那份草莓，负者可以得到那枚硬币。接着，另外两位也扔了硬币，随后又是其他两位，以此类推。吃过点心，摆开桌子，我们全都玩克里比奇牌，每一局赌6便士。要是不讲输赢，英国人就不愿意玩牌——至于是输是赢，他倒不在乎。
We had a lovely time; certainly two of us had, Miss Langham and I. I was so bewitched with her that I couldn’t count my hands if they went above a double sequence; and when I struck home I never discovered it, and started up the outside row again, and would have lost the game every time, only the girl did the same, she being in just my condition, you see; and consequently neither of us ever got out, or cared to wonder why we didn’t; we only just knew we were happy, and didn’t wish to know anything else, and didn’t want to be interrupted. And I told her—I did indeed—told her I loved her; and she—well, she blushed till her hair turned red, but she liked it; she said she did. Oh, there was never such an evening! Every time I pegged I put on a postscript; every time she pegged she acknowledged receipt of it, counting the hands the same. Why, I couldn’t even say, ‘Two for his heels,’ without adding, ‘My, how sweet you do look!’ And she would say, ‘Fifteen two, fifteen four, fifteen six, and a pair are eight, and eight are sixteen—do you think so?’ peeping out aslant from under her lashes, you know, so sweet and cunning. Oh, it was just too-too!
我们度过了愉快的时光；对于其中两个人——我和兰厄姆小姐——来说，当然是这样。我被她的魅力征服了，手里的同花顺子超过两张，我就数不过来；自己的牌要赢，我却从来看不出来，还从外面那排开始，我本该局局皆输才是，幸亏那位姑娘的心情和我相同，你懂吗，她也像我一样出牌；结果我们两个人谁都没有输赢，谁也顾不上想一想为什么会这样；我们只知道我俩很快活，我们不想知道其他任何事情，也不愿意被打扰。我对她说——我确实说了——说我爱她；而她——天呐，她羞涩的脸蛋竟映红了头发，不过她喜欢我的表白；她说了她喜欢。噢，再没有比那天晚上更美妙的了！每次我记分时总要加上一句附言；每次她记分时，边数着牌，边表示认可。啊，我在说“再加2分”时总得加一句“天呐，你看上去多可爱！”她说，“15得2，再一个15得4，再一个15得6，加上一对得8，8加8得16——你真的这么想吗？”她的目光透过睫毛，往外睨视，你想，多么可爱，多么招人喜欢。噢，这实在太美了，太美了！
Well, I was perfectly honest and square with her; told her I hadn’t a cent in the world but just the million-pound note she’d heard so much talk about, and it didn’t belong to me; and that started her curiosity, and then I talked low, and told her the whole history right from the start, and it nearly killed her, laughing. What in the nation she could find to laugh about, I couldn’t see, but there it was; every half minute some new detail would fetch her, and I would have to stop as much as a minute and a half to give her a chance to settle down again. Why, she laughed herself lame, she did indeed; I never saw anything like it. I mean I never saw a painful story—a story of a person’s troubles and worries and fears—produce just that kind of effect before. So I loved her all the more, seeing she could be so cheerful when there wasn’t anything to be cheerful about; for I might soon need that kind of wife, you know, the way things looked. Of course I told her we should have to wait a couple of years, till I could catch up on my salary; but she didn’t mind that, only she hoped I would be as careful as possible in the matter of expenses, and not let them run the least risk of trenching on our third year’s pay. Then she began to get a little worried, and wondered if we were making any mistake, and starting the salary on a higher figure for the first year than I would get. This was good sense, and it made me feel a little less confident than I had been feeling before; but it gave me a good business idea, and I brought it frankly out.
唉，我以完全诚实和端正的态度对待她：我告诉她，我是个一贫如洗的人，即使是她听人们频频提起的那张百万英镑钞票也非我所有，这番话引起了她的好奇心；于是我低声把这整个故事从头向她倾诉，我的话差一点把她笑死。我真不明白，她究竟觉得这件事有什么好笑的，但她就是笑；每隔半分钟总有一些新的细节逗她发笑，我不得不暂停一分半钟，好让她平息下来。你猜怎么着，她笑得连脚都站不稳——她真这么着；我从来没见过谁笑成这样。我的意思是，我以前还从来没见过一个痛苦的故事——关于一个人遇到麻烦以及他的忧虑和恐惧的故事——竟会产生这样的效果。所以我更加爱她了，我看得出来，即使没有多少令人愉快的事，她都会这样愉快；你知道，看样子我很快就需要一位这种类型的妻子了。我当然告诉她说，我们得等待两年，等我用薪水还清积欠以后；但她对这一点倒并不在乎，她只是希望我在花钱时尽可能小心谨慎，绝不能危及我们第三年的收入。说到这里，她开始有点儿忧虑起来，担心我们可能犯了错误：把我第一年的薪水估计得比我实际可得的薪水高了。这是清醒地估计，它使我感到我的自信心比以往稍稍降低了一点；不过这倒让我想到了一个正经的好主意，我把它坦白地说出来：
‘Portia, dear, would you mind going with me that day, when I confront those old gentlemen?’
“波西娅，亲爱的，等我和那两位老绅士会面的那天，我想让你陪我一起去，你不反对吧？”
She shrank a little, but said:
她稍稍有点儿犹豫，但还是说：
‘N-o; if my being with you would help hearten you. But—would it be quite proper, do you think?’
“那倒——没什么；如果我在你身边能给你壮胆的话。不过——你觉得这样做真的合乎礼节吗？”
‘No, I don’t know that it would; in fact, I’m afraid it wouldn’t; but, you see, there’s so much dependent upon it that——’
“不，我不知道——说实话，我怕是并不合适；不过，你知道吗，这一步关系重大，那个……”
‘Then I’ll go anyway, proper or improper,’ she said, with a beautiful and generous enthusiasm. ‘Oh, I shall be so happy to think I’m helping.’
“那我就决定去，不管它合不合礼节，”说话时，她慷慨、热情，简直美极了，“噢，想起自己对你能有所帮助，我会感到非常幸福！”
‘Helping, dear? Why, you’ll be doing it all. You’re so beautiful, and so lovely, and so winning, that with you there I can pile our salary up till I break those good old fellows, and they’ll never have the heart to struggle.’
“什么叫有所帮助，亲爱的？要知道，这一切全靠你啦。你这么美丽，这么可爱，这么招人，有你在身边，我可以把薪水的要求提得高高的，让那两位好老头破了财还不忍心杀我的价。”
Sho! you should have seen the rich blood mount, and her happy eyes shine!
哟！你真该看看她脸涨得通红，眼睛里闪现出幸福的光彩！
‘You wicked flatterer! There isn’t a word of truth in what you say, but still I’ll go with you. Maybe it will teach you not to expect other people to look with your eyes.’
“你就会巧嘴滑舌恭维人！你嘴里一句真话也没有，不过我还是和你一起去。也许这会给你一个教训，教你别指望别人的眼光会和你一样。”
Were my doubts dissipated? Was my confidence restored? You may judge by this fact: privately I raised my salary to twelve hundred the first year on the spot. But I didn’t tell her; I saved it for a surprise.
我的疑虑烟消云散了吗？我的信心恢复了吗？你可以从以下事实中得到回答：我当场就决定把第一年的薪水价码提高到1200英镑。但这一点我没有告诉她，想留着给她一个惊喜。
All the way home I was in the clouds, Hastings talking, I not hearing a word. When he and I entered my parlour he brought me to myself with his fervent appreciations of my manifold comforts and luxuries.
回去的一路上我像是走在云端里，黑斯廷斯不断地说话，我连一个字都没听进去。等我们走进我那间客厅，他对我舒适豪华的生活设施热情赞美，才使我清醒过来。
‘Let me just stand here a little and look my fill! Dear me, it’s a palace; it’s just a palace! And in it everything a body could desire, including cozy coal fire and supper standing ready. Henry, it doesn’t merely make me realise how rich you are; it makes me realise to the bone, to the marrow, how poor I am—how poor I am—and how miserable, how defeated, routed, annihilated!’
“让我在这里站一会儿，饱个眼福。天呐！这是一座宫殿——真是一座宫殿呀！凡是人渴望得到的一切，包括舒适的煤炉和现成摆在桌上的晚饭，这里一应俱全。亨利，这不但使我真正认识到你是如此富有；还使我铭心刻骨地认识到我是如此贫穷——我多么贫穷，多么不幸，被人打败；一败涂地，彻底完蛋了！”
Plague take it! this language gave me the cold shudders. It scared me broad awake, and made me comprehend that I was standing on a half-inch crust, with a crater underneath. I didn’t know I had been dreaming—that is, I hadn’t been allowing myself to know it for a while back; but now—oh, dear! Deep in debt, not a cent in the world, a lovely girl’s happiness or woe in my hands, and nothing in front of me but a salary which might never—oh, would never—materialise! Oh, oh, oh, I am ruined past hope; nothing can save me!
真该死！他的话使我不寒而栗。它吓得我完全清醒了，让我意识到自己正站在火山口上方，脚下的地壳只有半英寸厚。在过去这段时间里，我不知道自己在做梦——也就是说，我故意不让自己去正视事实；可是现在——噢，天呐！我债台高筑，一贫如洗，一位可爱的姑娘的幸福或悲伤全掌握在我的手中，我的面前除了一份工资之外一无所有，就算这份工资也可能——噢，看来是——永远无法兑现的！呀，呀，呀！我毁了，没有希望了！谁也救不了我！
‘Henry, the mere unconsidered drippings of your daily income would——’
“亨利，从你一天的收入里，只要不小心往地下掉点零碎儿，就能……”
‘Oh, my daily income! Here, down with this hot Scotch, and cheer up your soul. Here’s with you! Or, no—you’re hungry; sit down and——’
“噢，我一天的收入！过来，把这杯够劲儿的苏格兰威士忌干下去，提提精神。咱们一起干！还是先别干——你饿了，坐下来吃……”
‘Not a bite for me; I’m past it. I can’t eat, these days; but I’ll drink with you till I drop. Come!’
“我一口东西也吃不下；我饿过劲儿了。这些日子，我吃不下饭去；不过酒是要陪你喝的，醉倒了算。来吧！”
‘Barrel for barrel, I’m with you! Ready! Here we go! Now, then, Lloyd, unreel your story while I brew.’
“酒桶对酒桶，我奉陪！准备好了吗？我们来吧！喂，听着，劳埃德，趁我调酒的工夫，把你的故事说给我听听。”
‘Unreel it? What, again?’
“说给你听？什么，再说一遍吗？”
‘Again? What do you mean by that?’
“再说一遍？这话什么意思？”
‘Why, I mean do you want to hear it over again?’
“怎么啦？我的意思是你还想要重新听我讲一遍吗？”
‘Do I want to hear it over again? This is a puzzler. Wait; don’t take any more of that liquid. You don’t need it.’
“我还想重新听你讲一遍？这话真让人猜不透呀。等等，这种酒你别再喝了。你喝不了这个。”
‘Look here, Henry, you alarm me. Didn’t I tell you the whole story on the way here?’
“听着，亨利，你让我吃惊。往这儿走的一路上我不是把我的事从头至尾都给你讲了吗？”
‘You?’
“你讲过了？”
‘Yes, I.’
“是的，我讲过了。”
‘I’ll be hanged if I heard a word of it.’
“我可是一个字都没有听进去。”
‘Henry, this is a serious thing. It troubles me. What did you take up yonder at the minister’s?’
“亨利，这问题就严重啦。让我大伤脑筋。你在公使馆里心思让什么占去了？”
Then it all flashed on me, and I owned up, like a man.
我一切都明白了，于是就像个大丈夫似的痛快承认。
‘I took the dearest girl in this world—prisoner!’
“我已经把世界上最可爱的姑娘——俘虏了！”
So then he came with a rush, and we shook, and shook, and shook till our hands ached; and he didn’t blame me for not having heard a word of a story which had lasted while we walked three miles. He just sat down then, like the patient, good fellow he was, and told it all over again. Synopsised, it amounted to this: He had come to England with what he thought was a grand opportunity; he had an ‘option’ to sell the Gould and Curry Extension for the ‘locators’ of it, and keep all he could get over a million dollars. He had worked hard, had pulled every wire he knew of, had left no honest expedient untried, had spent nearly all the money he had in the world, had not been able to get a solitary capitalist to listen to him, and his option would run out at the end of the month. In a word, he was ruined. Then he jumped up and cried out:
他冲到我面前和我握手，握了又握，握了又握，直到两人的手都握得生疼才罢，我和他一起步行3英里，他一直在讲他的故事，而我居然一个字都没有听进去，这件事他倒没有埋怨我。此刻他坐在那里，像往常一样有耐心、好脾气，把他的故事从头至尾又讲了一遍。情况大致这样：他来到英国时自认为发财的机会很大，他掌握着替“勘测者”出售“古尔德与柯利矿山扩建股票”的期权，集资100万美元，如果超出这个数，超出部分统统归他所有。他拼命努力，抓住他所知道的每一根线索，一切正当的手段都试过了，花光了他的全部金钱，但还是没能说动哪怕是一位投资者，眼看他的期权到本月底就将结束。总而言之，他已经毁掉了。说罢他蹦了起来，喊道：
‘Henry, you can save me! You can save me, and you’re the only man in the universe that can. Will you do it? Won’t you do it?’
“亨利，你能救我！你是世界上唯一救得了我的人。你肯救我吗？你不肯救我吗？”
‘Tell me how. Speak out, my boy.’
“说一说我怎么救你。说呀，我的朋友。”
‘Give me a million and my passage home for my ‘option’! Don’t, don’t refuse!’
“给我100万，还有我回家的船费，我的期权就归你！不要，千万不要拒绝。”
I was in a kind of agony. I was right on the point of coming out with the words, ‘Lloyd, I’m a pauper myself—absolutely penniless, and in debt!’ But a white-hot idea came flaming through my head, and I gripped my jaws together, and calmed myself down till I was as cold as a capitalist. Then I said, in a commercial and self-possessed way:
我心里有说不出的苦恼。这样的话几乎就要脱口而出了：“劳埃德，我自己也是个穷光蛋——真正的不名一文，而且还欠了债。”正在此时，一个闪光的念头出现在我的脑际，使我赶忙把牙关咬紧，我定了定神，直到我像个真正的资本家那样冷静。于是我以一个买卖人的沉着口气说：
‘I will save you, Lloyd——’
“我决定救你，劳埃德……”
‘Then I’m already saved! God be merciful to you for ever! If ever I——’
“那么说我已经得救了！上帝永远赐福于你！假如我能……”
‘Let me finish, Lloyd. I will save you, but not in that way; for that would not be fair to you, after your hard work, and the risks you’ve run. I don’t need to buy mines; I can keep my capital moving, in a commercial centre like London, without that; it’s what I’m at, all the time; but here is what I’ll do. I know all about that mine, of course; I know its immense value, and can swear to it if anybody wishes it. You shall sell out inside of the fortnight for three millions cash, using my name freely, and we’ll divide, share and share alike.’
“你让我说完，劳埃德。我决定救你，但不是用你所说的办法；因为那对你不公平，因为你已经为它卖了力气，担了风险。我不需要购买矿山；没有矿山，我的资金在像伦敦这样的商业中心照样能够流动；我一向就是这么做的；下一步我还准备这么做。当然，我对那座矿山知道得很清楚，我知道它有很高的价值，要是有人不相信，我完全可以为它担保。你可以用我的名义去销售，那么不到两个星期，你就能得到300万现金，赚的钱我和你对半分。”
Do you know, he would have danced the furniture to kindling-wood, in his insane joy, and broken everything on the place, if I hadn’t tripped him up and tied him.
你知道吗，他简直乐疯了，要不是我把他绊倒后用绳子捆起来，他准会手舞足蹈，连续疯折腾，把屋里的东西统统打光，把家具敲成一堆柴火的。
Then he lay there, perfectly happy, saying:
他躺在地上心满意足地说：
‘I may use your name! Your name—think of it! Man, they’ll flock in droves, these rich Londoners; they’ll fight for that stock! I’m a made man, I’m a made man for ever, and I’ll never forget you as long as I live!’
“我可以用你的名义！你的名义——想想看吧！那些有钱的伦敦佬会成群结队来抢购这种股票！现在我是一个成功的人了，我永远是一个成功的人，只要我活着，我绝不会忘记你！”
In less than twenty-four hours London was abuzz! I hadn’t anything to do, day after day, but sit at home, and say to all comers:
没过24小时，伦敦空前活跃起来了！我没干别的事，每天只是坐在家里，对所有来访的人说：
‘Yes; I told him to refer to me. I know the man and I know the mine. His character is above reproach, and the mine is worth far more than he asks for it.’
“没错，是我对他说可以咨询我的。我了解这个人，我了解这座矿山。他的为人无懈可击，而那座矿山的价值远远超出他的要价。”
Meantime I spent all my evenings at the minister’s with Portia. I didn’t say a word to her about the mine; I saved it for a surprise. We talked salary; never anything but salary and love; sometimes love, sometimes salary, sometimes love and salary together. And my! the interest the minister’s wife and daughter took in our little affair, and the endless ingenuities they invented to save us from interruption, and to keep the minister in the dark and unsuspicious—well, it was just lovely of them!
在这段时间里，每天晚上我都在公使馆和波西娅在一起。关于矿山的事我一个字都没有向她提起；我把这件事保留起来，想将来给她一个惊喜。我们谈论薪水的事，除了薪水和爱情，我们不谈别的；有时谈爱情，有时谈薪水，有时爱情、薪水一起谈。唷！公使夫人、公使小姐对我俩的爱情关怀备至，她们不断作出巧妙的安排使我俩得以避免干扰，还把公使蒙在鼓里，从未起过疑心——啊，她俩的行为实在高尚！
When the month was up, at last, I had a million dollars to my credit in the London and County Bank, and Hastings was fixed in the same way. Dressed at my level best, I drove by the house in Portland Place, judged by the look of things that my birds were home again, went on towards the minister’s and got my precious, and we started back, talking salary with all our might. She was so excited and anxious that it made her just intolerably beautiful. I said:
等一个月期限终于结束的那天，我在伦敦郡银行已有了100万美元存款，黑斯廷斯也存上了同样一笔钱，我穿上最好的衣服，驱车来到波特兰广场那座房子跟前，从那里的情势判断，我那两位大人物准是回来了，于是我马上到公使馆去接我的宝贝，我俩又往回赶车，一路上尽量谈论薪水的事。她极度兴奋和急切的样子使她看上去简直太美丽了。我说：
‘Dearie, the way you’re looking it’s a crime to strike for a salary a single penny under three thousand a year.’
“宝贝，看到你这么美丽，我一年就要他3000英镑薪水，少要一个便士就是罪过。”
‘Henry, Henry, you’ll ruin us!’
“亨利，亨利，你会把我俩毁掉的！”
‘Don’t you be afraid. Just keep up those looks, and trust to me. It’ll all come out right.’
“别害怕。只管保持你的美貌，并且信赖我。结果一切都会尽善尽美的。”
So, as it turned out, I had to keep bolstering up her courage all the way. She kept pleading with me, and saying:
事情就是这样，一路上我必须不断设法鼓起她的勇气。她总在央求我，说：
‘Oh, please remember that if we ask for too much we may get no salary at all; and then what will become of us, with no way in the world to earn our living?’
“噢，请你别忘了，如果我们要求过高，也许连一分钱薪水都拿不到，到时候我俩没有办法挣钱养家，那该怎么办？”
We were ushered in by that same servant, and there they were, the two old gentlemen. Of course they were surprised to see that wonderful creature with me, but I said:
我们被领进了那座房子，前来应门的还是先前那位仆人，两位老绅士都在家。当他们看见美丽无比的宝贝跟我在一起，当然感到惊奇，但是我说：
‘It’s all right, gentlemen; she is my future stay and helpmate.’
“这很好嘛，绅士们！她是我未来的归宿和贤内助。”
And I introduced them to her, and called them by name. It didn’t surprise them; they knew I would know enough to consult the directory. They seated us, and were very polite to me, and very solicitous to relieve her from embarrassment, and put her as much at her ease as they could. Then I said:
我把两位老绅士介绍给她，说出了他们的姓氏。他们并不感到惊奇，他们知道，我只要查一查人名住址簿就可以弄清楚。他们请我俩坐下，对我礼貌周全，对她更是温柔体贴，尽量使她免受困窘，能感到安闲自在。这时我说：
‘Gentlemen, I am ready to report.’
“绅士们，我准备向你们汇报。”
‘We are glad to hear it,’ said my man, ‘for now we can decide the bet which my brother Abel and I made. If you have won for me, you shall have any situation in my gift. Have you the million-pound note?’
“我们很乐意听，”我的那位老绅士说，“我的哥哥阿倍尔和我打赌，胜负如何，马上就可以揭晓了。假如你帮我打赢了赌，你就可以得到我有权指派的任何职位。你把那张百万英镑钞票带来了吗？”
‘Here it is, sir,’ and I handed it to him.
“在这儿呢，先生，”说时，我把钞票递给了他。
‘I’ve won!’ he shouted, and slapped Abel on the back. ‘Now what do you say, brother?’
“我赢啦！”他高声喊道，一面用手拍着阿倍尔的后背。“哥哥，现在你还有什么说的？”
‘I say he did survive, and I’ve lost twenty thousand pounds. I never would have believed it.’
“我要说他确实活过来了，而我却损失了两万英镑。以前我绝不相信会有这样的结果。”
‘I’ve a further report to make,’ I said, ‘and a pretty long one. I want you to let me come soon, and detail my whole month’s history; and I promise you it’s worth hearing. Meantime, take a look at that.’
“我的汇报还没有作完，”我说，“下面的故事还长着呢。请允许我不久以后再来详详细细把这一整月的故事讲给你们听，我敢担保这故事还很有听头呢。现在请你先看看这个。”
‘What, man! Certificate of deposit for £200,000? Is it yours?’
“什么，伙计！20万英镑存单。这是你的吗？”
‘Mine! I earned it by thirty days’ judicious use of that little loan you let me have. And the only use I made of it was to buy trifles and offer the bill in change.’
“是我的。这是在过去的30天里，我靠明智而审慎地利用你们给我这笔小小的借款挣来的。我唯一的用途只是购买一些小东西，拿出钞票来让他们找钱。”
‘Come, this is astonishing! It’s incredible, man!’
“嗨，这真让人吃惊！真是不可思议，伙计！”
‘Never mind, I’ll prove it. Don’t take my word unsupported.’
“这不要紧，我会证明这一切都是真的。别以为我在胡说八道。”
But now Portia’s turn was come to be surprised. Her eyes were spread wide, and she said:
现在轮到波西娅感到吃惊了。她的眼睛睁得大大的，说：
‘Henry, is that really your money? Have you been fibbing to me?’
“亨利，这真的是你的钱吗？你是不是一直在哄我？”
‘I have indeed, dearie. But you’ll forgive me, I know.’
“宝贝，我确实在哄你。不过我知道你会原谅我的。”
She put up an arch pout, and said:
她撅起了嘴唇，说：
‘Don’t you be so sure. You are a naughty thing to deceive me so!’
“你可别太自信呀。你真是个顽皮的家伙，竟会这样骗我！”
‘Oh, you’ll get over it, sweetheart, you’ll get over it; it was only fun, you know. Come, let’s be going.’
“噢，你不会计较它的，心肝儿，你不会计较它的；你知道，这只是个玩笑。来，我们走吧。”
‘But wait, wait! The situation, you know. I want to give you the situation,’ said my man.
“等一等，等一等！你知道，还有职位呢。我要给你一个职位，”我那位老绅士说。
‘Well,’ I said, ‘I’m just as grateful as I can be, but really I don’t want one.’
“啊，”我说，“我确实无限感激，不过那职位嘛，我真的不想要了。”
‘But you can have the very choicest one in my gift.’
“可是你能挑选一个我有权指派的最好的职位。”
‘Thanks again, with all my heart; but I don’t even want that one.’
“我再一次全心全意地感谢你；不过即使是这样一个职位我也不想要了。”
‘Henry, I’m ashamed of you. You don’t half thank the good gentleman. May I do it for you?’
“亨利，我真为你脸红。你对这位好心的绅士感谢得远远不够。我替你向他表示感谢怎么样？”
‘Indeed you shall, dear, if you can improve it. Let us see you try.’
“亲爱的，如果你能表达得更加充分的话，你当然可以这样做。试试你的办法看。”
She walked to my man, got up in his lap, put her arm round his neck, and kissed him right on the mouth. Then the two old gentlemen shouted with laughter, but I was dumfounded, just petrified, as you may say. Portia said:
她向我那位老绅士走去，坐到他膝上，伸出手臂搂住他的脖子，在他嘴上吻了一下。两位老绅士高声笑起来，但是我却惊得目瞪口呆，应该说是僵在那里了。波西娅说：
‘Papa, he has said you haven’t a situation in your gift that he’d take; and I feel just as hurt as——’
“爸爸，他刚才说你有权指派的职位他一个都不想要，我觉得受到了伤害，就像……”
‘My darling! is that your papa?’
“亲爱的，他是你爸爸？”
‘Yes; he’s my step-papa, and the dearest one that ever was. You understand now, don’t you, why I was able to laugh when you told me at the minister’s, not knowing my relationships, what trouble and worry papa’s and Uncle Abel’s scheme was giving you?’
“是的，他是我的继父，是天底下前所未有的最好的继父。那天在公使馆里，你不知道我们之间的关系，向我倾诉爸爸和阿倍尔伯父设计的游戏怎样使你忧虑和烦恼的时候，我竟会大笑起来，现在你该明白为什么了吧？”
Of course I spoke right up, now, without any fooling, and went straight to the point.
现在我当然趁势直截了当地把话说出来，没有任何戏谑成分，一下子就说到点子上。
‘Oh, my dearest dear sir, I want to take back what I said. You have got a situation open that I want.’
“噢，我最最亲爱的先生，我收回刚才说过的话。你确实有一个职位是我想要的。”
‘Name it.’
“说出来。”
‘Son-in-law.’
“女婿。”
‘Well, well, well! But you know, if you haven’t ever served in that capacity, you of course can’t furnish recommendations of a sort to satisfy the conditions of the contract, and so——’
“好吧，好吧，好吧！不过你要知道，既然你从来没有在那个职位上服务的经历，你对于合同规定的条件，当然还有所欠缺，所以说……”
‘Try me—oh, do, I beg of you! Only just try me thirty or forty years, and if——’
“试用我吧——噢，一定要试我一试，我求求你！只要试用我三四十年就好了，如果……”
‘Oh, well, all right; it’s but a little thing to ask. Take her along.’
“噢，好的，没问题。这只是个小小的请求，你可以把她带走了。”
Happy, we too? There are not words enough in the unabridged to describe it. And when London got the whole history, a day or two later, of my month’s adventures with that bank-note, and how they ended, did London talk, and have a good time? Yes.
我们俩快活吗？翻遍足本大词典也找不出一个字眼足以形容我俩快活的心情。一两天以后，我和那张钞票在一个月里的冒险经历及其结局的完整故事，在伦敦城里已尽人皆知，人们谈论这件事了吗？他们乐不乐？乐。
My Portia’s papa took that friendly and hospitable bill back to the Bank of England and cashed it; then the Bank cancelled it and made him a present of it, and he gave it to us at our wedding, and it has always hung in its frame in the sacredest place in our home, ever since. For it gave me my Portia. But for it I could not have remained in London, would not have appeared at the minister’s, never should have met her. And so I always say, ‘Yes, it’s a million-pounder, as you see; but it never made but one purchase in its life, and then got the article for only about a tenth part of its value.’
我的波西娅的爸爸把那张友好、慷慨的钞票拿到英格兰银行去兑现；银行把它注销以后，当作礼物送还给他，我们结婚那天他又把它送给了我们，从那时起，它被装上镜框始终悬挂在我们家里最神圣的地方。因为它给了我波西娅。要是没有它，我绝不会留在伦敦，绝不会出现在公使馆，永远也没有机会遇见她。我时常这样说，“是的，它确实是一张百万英镑钞票，谁都看得见；但是，它生平只买过一次东西，即使那一次也只花了大约那件东西十分之一的价钱就把它买来了。”